As If You Know
by WithxLovex224
Summary: Emi Hitachi was the new girl at Ninja Academy. When she comes stomping into Gaara's world, what happens when he's not the only one with a dark past? That her memories are also streaked with pain and darkness? What happens when they fall in love? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N: I haven't tried this before…so if you don't like it.. TELL ME. Tee hee. XD)**

_So, Japan for high school, that's a real change from Seoul. At least I get to keep training as a ninja, right? _ She sighed. _I just need to get out of here, before…before they find me…._

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the soft thud of leather against wood. Without turning she spoke softly.

"What are you doing here?" The tall, lean but muscular teenager spoke.

"I... Heard you were leaving. I just wanted to say…bye." She bit her lip; he even had the _nerve _to come through her window.

Without speaking, she thrust her foot into his chest, causing him to lose his balance. He groaned as he rubbed his chest.

"Jae-young. Leave. NOW!"

He frowned.

"Emi-chan, can we please talk?" She shook her head.

But he spoke anyway.

"Emi-chan, you're stronger than any ninja at your age, the talent and the potential you have is unbearable. You _cannot _leave Korea. Not now."

Her face flared a deep red, she glared at him.

"Jae-young, I don't give a shit. And now, I'm leaving. They've found me. It's a matter of time. Kakashi-sensei said I had two days to leave. So I'm listening to him."

"But…"

A sudden growing light balled at the palm of her hands. She heard him leave before she could even turn around. She smirked. She had more chakra then he could imagine…neither would anyone else know.

Emi looked in the mirror, smoothing out her long, glossy brown hair. She had no clue how beautiful she was. She believed that she was quite the opposite. High set cheekbones, full, curved lips and a pair of deep, deep purple eyes. Her skin glowed; she frowned at her strangely colored eyes.

She finished packing and grabbed her black leather jacket and tote bag. The brunette stopped, and turned. She leaned over and looked under her bed, and found three kunai, and slid them all into her leather garter. She looked back at the room, a look of remorse on her face.

Emi Hitachi was tired of always running away from _them, _always changing her life plans because of _them_.

She'd had enough.

There was a knock at the door. "Yes?"

A man answered,

"Miss Hitachi, Kakashi is here to escort you to your destination." She looked once more at her bedroom, a bedroom she had known for a year now.

"Alright, I'll be there."

(IN JAPAN)

(3rd POV)

"Sabaku no Gaara, please, you are tardy. AGAIN."

A teenager of about 16 or 17 walked in, his crimson red hair was mess, and his intense, black lined sea-green eyes stared at the teacher. Or glared… If you want to put it lightly.

You see, Gaara is not someone you mess with, never less look at or speak to. Unless, that is you are spoken too. This, regardless, is impossible.

The large, red character that was stamped on his pale fore-head glistened in the morning sun that leaked through the dusty windows; he said nothing and took his seat. Girls squealed as he sat down, and immediately shut up when his gaze went their way. The teacher spoke.

"As you know children, today is my last day as your substitute teacher. Kakashi-sensei has returned and will be introducing a new student!"

Excited whispers scattered across the room; Gaara looked up, it caught his attention.

_Kakashi went to Korea… Hn…_

The door swung open and a familiar head of grey, spiky hair looked around. He entered quickly, except… he wasn't alone. Gaara looked up and was immediately taken back. Whistles echoed in the back of the large classroom.

A lithe brunette stepped lightly behind Kakashi; her thick lashes framed her deep violet eyes, a contrast to her glowing skin and brown hair. She wore a pair of grey boots that came up to her knee and a too-big sweater that substituted for a dress. She had fishnet arm warmers up to her elbows and finger-less gloves. She swept back her long glossy locks; exposing her collarbone.

The large red character on his forward pulsed…and so did his heart. Even with the baggy sweater, she couldn't hide the curve of her hips or her tiny waist; or her extremely toned legs and arms.

She wasn't just a pretty face. She looked up and met his curious gaze. Her lips remained in the same position, but her eyes sparkled. He inhaled sharply, and tore his gaze away.

_Focus Gaara… Focus. damnit! She's just a _girl.

But he wasn't the only guy affected, or the only one who seemed to notice. All of the male students immediately started to clear out the available seats next to them, chucking empty snack wrappers into their schoolbags. Kakashi chuckled, Emi always was popular. He cleared his throat and spoke.

"Hello class, I'll make this quick. This is Emi Hitachi, she's a…" He paused for a half-second. Even though nobody noticed, Gaara detected it. He frowned ever so slightly, his gleaming complexion shifted. He was even more curious. But… The last name, Hitachi. Where had he heard it? Why did it sound so familiar?

"She is a transfer student from the SIA. Please introduce yourself Emi, likes and dislikes; hobbies, activities." She smiled gratefully at Kakashi, they seemed to know each other. Gaara noticed how gently she smiled, but he could see the mask. Underneath was some deep pain… an anxiety of some sort. And he was going to find out.

But the rest of the classes were gushing over the fact she went to SIA (Seoul International Academy), an extremely prestigious and exclusive academy set aside for the truly talented and gifted.

He knew that, because he went there for junior high. He got bored, but that was just him. But she… who was she?

_Hn. _

She gracefully stepped forward and the class grew silent.

"_Ohio_, My name is Emi Hitachi, please call me Emi. I like being called Emi-chan or Emi. I dislike arrogance. Oh, and I have a fetish for fights. My hobbies would be… reading. Listening to music, it's better than people lecturing you. I'd have to say I really do not like it when people lie to me. Especially people I want to trust." She cleared her throat, and looked up at Gaara. He was a bit surprised when she smiled and spoke to the class, but still held his gaze.

"Thank you. I look forward to meeting and becoming friends with all of you." She smiled graciously and turned her head to look at Kakashi.

"Oh, _arigato_ Emi, please take the seat next to… Hm." All of the boys stuck their hands up, and a couple of girls slightly raised their hands. Except, a blonde haired girl who huffed and puffed at the sight before her eyes and her group of friends, she was the only one not volunteering.

Including Gaara.

"Go sit with Gaara." He slightly pushed her toward the first step and made her way up all the way to the back.

He was wrong, she wasn't just beautiful. She beyond that, she was unlike any other girl he had seen… Lot's of girls threw themselves at him; he grew very wary and tired of them. But this was much different. He was lost in his train of though before he realized she was sitting next to him on the bench, and offering her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Gaara-sama." She the edges of her full lips curved into a half smile. There was silence. The students turned to watch the encounter.

He took her hand and shook it once. But he flinched back when their skin made contact; it was almost like she electrocuted him. Immediately, sand shielded him from the outstretched hand. She immediately took it back. She frowned and then realized.

"Oh… My bad. My chakra… I have some trouble with it when my nerves get out of hand." He didn't make an expression but realized something. If she had trouble with controlling her chakra even when she was nervous…she must have a huge amount of it. Most students have to work hard just to use some. He had this issue when he was angry, very angry. Dark thoughts suddenly invaded his mind, full of pain. His sea-green eyes suddenly flashed, they were dark…and scared.

But he recovered; he knew no one would notice. But Emi did.

He didn't smile but he spoke. His voice was low, deep, slightly husky around the edges but velvety smooth…seductive almost.

"Hello. I'm Sabaku no Gaara."

Her heart skipped a beat. He was Sabaku no Gaara…She should've known by that huge, gigantic gourd that sat next to him. She swallowed slightly, but didn't say a word. She wasn't going to let him intimidate her.

"That's great Gaara-sama, but you're sitting on my bag." Her tone was frank but slightly amused; his beautiful eyes narrowed severely and handed the bag to her. She pulled out her pencil case and continued to ignore his glares.

Occasionally, she snuck a look at his pale, opalescent almost in the sun, muscular arms and broad chest. She was impressed, she had to admit; he was extremely attractive. She heard whispers behind her that confirmed her assumption.

"Oh my god, would you just look at his arms? He is _so_ hot. I wonder what it'd be like to do him…." The other girl slapped her arm and hissed,

"No way, he's so mine! I bet he's crazy in bed." The two girls giggled uncontrollably, Emi felt slightly rude for listening to their conversation but the more she thought about their words…

The more she agreed with them.

She completely blushed, a hot, deep pink colored her cheeks. As soon as the bell rung, she grabbed her already-packed tote bag and swiftly dashed toward the door. Gaara noticed her abrupt departure and decided to see what she was up to. He grabbed his gourd and slung it over his broad shoulders and started making way toward the exit.

Immediately, the students parted for him to get through. He smirked slightly as he walked into the hallway. He saw her rapidly turn a corner.

_Hn, she's fast. Kinda annoying…_

He quickly sprinted and was only about a meter away from her when a group of students from the school down the block encircled her.

They were whistling, making a grab at her clothing. Gaara's hand instinctively reached for his gourd- and was about to pull of the top when he realized what was happening.

She was kicking their asses- to be frank.

Her long, lean torso twisted as she quickly did a jutso he could not see what it was, but a second later they were all running away in different directions. On accident he had pulled off the top of the gourd- and realized what was happening.

The sand had sensed her chakra and was creating a shield against it, but he quickly dismissed it and closed the cap.

He ran up to her and waited until she noticed he was there.

"Oh!" She breathed in a bit too quickly and stumbled.

"Whoa…" he muttered and grabbed her by the waist to keep her from falling. He looked at her, and realized he had never been this close to a girl before.

Her large, violet eyes looked slightly shocked; her cheeks where burning hot and she had a smudge of dirt on her nose. Without him even knowing it, he breathed onto his finger and swiped the dust off of her nose; and put his hand on the small of her hand so she could stand up.

Her heart was pounding.

"Thanks….Gaara-sama." For a moment she looked a bit shy, like a little school girl. Than the rather rude, but frank girl back in the school room returned.

"But really, must you _grab_ me like that?!" Her voice was completely frank and slightly amused.

Gaara returned to his usual self.

"Watch it!" He snapped at her, his usual defensive and harsh tone didn't seem to have much effect on her. He noticed that they were still quite close, about ten inches apart.

He abruptly turned around and walked away, toward the huge exit that led out into the rest of town. She looked after him curiously, and was slightly disappointed.

She slapped herself on the head.

_Why should I feel disappointed? It's not like I expected anything from him…_

A sudden tap on her shoulder made her turn. A tan boy with brilliant blue eyes and whiskers smiled at her shamelessly. She noticed the whiskers and smiled back. His blond hair were in spikes- and stuck out everywhere out of his headband.

"Hi! You must be Emi-chan! Nice to meet you! I'm Naruto!" She chuckled at his open friendliness and it felt slightly refreshing compared to the cold, silent boy she had been speaking with earlier.

"Hi Naruto, nice to meet you." She smiled openly now, and felt like he could be a good friend. He flamboyantly stuck out two ramen coupons and announced that he would like to show her the town and she kindly accepted.

They left the schoolyard and Naruto, though he may act like an idiot, he was intelligent; he had grown more mature over the past years and seemed to notice something was bothering her. So he stopped talking and led her into the shop, taking their seats and handed the cook the coupons. He turned to her quickly and quipped,

"What's wrong?" Her head snapped up like a whip; how did he know something was bothering her?

"Um, nothing, just you know; first day jitters." She even smiled weakly, trying to convince him but she knew he saw through it.

"Emi-chan, if something is bothering you; maybe I can help."

She sighed and looked at up, showing real fear in her suddenly dark, purple eyes.

He was slightly taken back by the dark look in her eyes.

She muttered slowly as the cook placed two bowls of steaming ramen, and for once Naruto didn't even notice that the food was there.

"Naruto… It's a very long story." He smiled cheerfully and added seriously,

"I have time." She swallowed and began to speak.


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Naruto characters or Naruto except Emi Hitachi! Hah!)**

"As you know, I'm from the Hitachi clan, the…"

"One of the most highly respected families of Ninja…"

Emi nodded her head, her eyes deepened; a darker purple that looked glum. Naruto watched her curiously, and listened intently. He was seriously interested now; _How could someone so high class, just walk by herself? But than again…The Hitachi clan had been_… He looked up to see that she had noticed his realization.

"That's right. My parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins and siblings were all murdered… In front of me; I watched my parents die." She stared at the glistening broth that surrounded the noodles in the bowl. She glanced at her long, brown hair and bit her full lip as she twirled a piece of it around her finger; a painful memory echoed in her ears. A sudden flashback pulled her away from the cheerful surroundings to a much…much darker place.

(FLASHBACK)

**(WARNING: slightly mature, as In a bit of gore its really not the bad but whatever- okay now I am rambling…)**

A small, little girl bounced along lightly, her long brown hair was braided and twirled into two buns that were placed on the nape of her neck. She was bundled up in different furs as she made her way through the thick snow. She smiled brightly as the village came into view, it was becoming dark and _Okaa-san_ **(A/N: for those who don't know Japanese, that's mom in the polite version…) **would be angry. She started to run but stopped when she noticed something- there was no bustling around or sounds of people. She could not detect the sound of the animals that bayed and crowed at the market, she could not detect the sound of the loud drunks and there hoarse shouts. A flicker of concern flashed in her soft, lilac eyes; but brushed it off and continued to walk toward the gate. But she was more careful, a bit more on her guard. That was when she noticed- there were _no guards. _She shook her head, this was wrong. But she kept walking.

She was so busy looking around that she forgot the flowers she had plucked; large red Camellias. She lifted a gloved finger to stroke the blood red petal when a sudden smell hit her.

_Chi_, or blood.

She dropped the flowers she had gathered, the petals scattered across the blood red snow. Tears streamed from her eyes as she looked left and right, the buildings were torched; corpses lay on the ground. Even dead animals were sprawled, the blood was everywhere.

_Blood, blood, blood! _

The little girl was hysterically sobbing by the time she had reached the turn that would lead to their estate.

_Everything…Everywhere… So much..blood…_

She opened her mouth to scream with terror when she heard a blood-curdling scream that came from inside of her home when a gloved hand covered her mouth. She kicked defiantly but suddenly recognized the familiar texture of the glove and the scent.

She turned; her large orchid eyes met black and red.

"Ka..kashi sensei…." His brows furrowed and continued to shush her as he pulled the small shivering girl into his arms.

"Sh…Sh…. Emi-chan, sh…" She sobbed into his chest, his clothes were torn and he looked around, with both his sharingan and his normal eye.

"Come, we must leave." She shook her head and looked up at him, her dark eyes glistening in the deadly silent night.

Suddenly he grabbed her lightly but secured her around his waist, but a voice quietly spoke.

"Leave the girl." She felt him tense up and he spoke sharply, but kept his voice down.

"No." Her eyes widened, she could sense the emotions, the vulnerability, and the chakra that the stranger possessed and whimpered.

He let out a cold, sinister laugh and sneered,

"Leave the child Kakashi, that way you can tell your friends back at Kanaho all the _details_." He drawled out the last words, she tried to sneak a look at the stranger but was surprised when Kakashi pulled her head and forced her to face him. He looked at her frightened amythest eyes. For the first time, he pulled down his mask and kissed her forehead softly; she looked at him in shock. She tried to memorize his sad, quiet face and the familiar scar that ran through his eye. The sadness of the small smile that was fixed on his handsome face, the way the breeze ruffled his sterling gray hair; she tried to engrave it into her head. He gently put her down and mouthed, "_Run."_

She obeyed and covered her ears, she felt a breeze as he jumped and attacked the stranger. She ran through the gate, horrified by the sight of the dead bodies. The faces, were twisted…some where still moaning in pain, while others had held the same expression. She sprinted toward the main building and saw the two guards approaching her. But they were not here to protect her.

_Traitors! _

Though she was small, she was appalled by the ferocity of her anger as she lunged toward him; her training started to kick in. She jumped, and swirled around and struck the guard in the face, her lithe form flipped over his head and struck him in the back. She quickly stole the kunai from his belt and stabbed him with all three down his spine. With enough force to snap the spine and spinal cord, she heard a sickening snap. The blood stained her sleeves and she frowned darkly. She heard the man behind her approaching her rapidly, she managed to slow everything down with the adrenaline rush and used it to her advantage.

_One, two, _three!

She sprung around and skillfully grabbed his neck, but he had other plans. Hissing and cursing, he threw her onto the ground and pulled out his kunai and started to cut off her hair, roughly. He tugged at her scalp and she felt the sharp blade inching closer and closer to her neck. She grabbed his leg and used her chakra as she snapped it.

He howled in pain.

She watched in horror as his blood mixed with the strands of hair on the ground. She finally snapped his neck and jumped back down to solid ground. She closed her eyes and covered her ears. She dropped to the floor, trying to ignore the smell of blood and realized that the warm blood pooled around her body. She stiffened, screamed in agony, her tear stained face looked up to a moonless night; she had no hope. There was no light.

She felt a gentle hand on her shaking shoulder and found herself face to face with Kakashi. He looked down at the twisted corpses and down at her bloodstained clothing and shaking hands that had grabbed onto the clumps of her bloody hair that she retrieved from the ground.

He pulled her up and cradled her against his chest. Suddenly, a loud scream and sobbing sounded from the inside of the building.

Kakashi pulled her onto his back and ran inside, blindly kicking away the random obstacle that came in his way. The sound of his feet against the wood floor echoed in her ears, the sounds of the dieing children and woman in the streets, the smell of the blood and the _fear _surrounded her. She shuddered, her face was ashen.

They burst into the room and immediately regretted doing so.

An elderly man and woman lay dead, tossed to the side of the room. She recognized their faces immediately and suddenly wish she didn't.

"_Obachan…Ojjichan…_" She gasped at the rope marks on their necks, they had been strangled. Without thinking she lunged over to them. Kissing their cheeks and crying silently, she closed their eyes. She bit her bottom lip, the pain and the hot blood was nothing compared to the utter horror- the shock she felt that was hollowing out her small body.

She looked up in horror and was wearing the same expression as Kakashi's. Her mother, sat on her knees, her arms were held out like a child being disciplined by their teachers. But what shocked her more was that long, deep gashes ran along her forearms. She was gagged and had multiple bruises and cuts all over her body. She looked to the left of her and saw that her father was in the same condition as well; except he did not have a gag. He had a blindfold. She realized that the blood that blotched the blindfold. To her horror, she realized that they had stabbed him in the eyes and left him to die.

But they were alone, when they had entered the room, two figures left the room discreetly. She ran over to her mother and watched in confusion as her mother's eyes bulged in horror and shook her head like a maniac. Kakashi understood, and swiftly grabbed her, but it was too late.

They hadn't seen it, but it was all a set up. Her foot snapped against a wire she did not see before and shrieked as it burned her. She watched in horror as it the abruptly spurted flames. A huge wall of fire now separated her from her dieing kin and all she could do was stare. Kakashi grabbed her and started to jump out the window when she realized that. She screamed and flailed wildly.

"NO! NO!" He quickly covered her mouth as he started to run away. The whole village started to go light on fire, first the main building than the surrounding walls and everything within…and out. The flames and smell of burning flesh lit up the evening sky. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she lost consciousness.

(Back to present)

She explained the flashback as it occurred, and now stared at the cold ramen in front of hers. Neither of them had touched the food. Naruto quietly asked the chef to reheat the food and he looked at the two teenagers quizzically and examined their empty faces.

He shrugged and took the bowls back.

The both stared down at their hands and Naruto finally spoke.

"That explains why Kakashi-sensei acted like he did in class…" She nodded slightly and made an attempt to smile at the chef as he brought back steaming bowls of ramen. He started to walk away when she called after him,

"Some sake, please?" He looked at her, slightly alarmed. He rolled his eyes and went back to achieve some. Naruto gaped at her slightly, but stayed silent.

"Naruto, I beg of you, do not tell anyone. I came here… to start over. You know?" He nodded and bent over and squeezed her hand and took the bowl of steaming ramen and slurped it down. She was shocked by how he had just _inhaled_ the food so quickly!

She laughed at his nonchalant expression and looked at her like _she _was the strange one.

"Bye Emi-chan!" The friendliness from before returned and she slightly sighed as he left the ramen place. She looked down at the bowl and started to pick up the chopsticks when her sake arrived. She grabbed the bottle and poured herself a cup and slung it back easily and quickly. The familiar sweetness brought back memories.

(Another flashback, bear with me…)

"Jae-young! Give me back my cup, damnit!" She laughed and hiccupped at the same time.

Two teenagers were at a Japanese bar in the middle of Seoul, drinking sake.

The irony.

"Ha! No wa-ay!" They both doubled over from hysterics and the alcohol that ran through their blood pumped. She looked up and realized that he had his hands on her legs and started to kiss her. She tried to push him off of her and started to struggle. He ignored her complaints and slipped his hands up her shirt. She couldn't concentrate and use her chakra, and her body and limbs felt like mush. Suddenly she could breathe again; he was thrown off of her.

"Don't you _dare _touch her again!" She opened her eyes, it was Kakashi.

"Get the hell out of here!" The drunken boy scrambled and knocked into tables as he left. She remembered the suffocating feeling of his sticky mouth and the fact that she didn't have any control. What if Kakashi hadn't been there?

(BACK TO PRESENT)

She sighed. The sake bottle was half empty and it was her second. She was getting drunk.

A sudden hush fell over the hut as a certain fiery headed boy walked into the stand. His gorgeous sky blue eyes widened as he saw a drunken Emi sitting alone.

Well, not exactly. She was getting looks and whistles from the surrounding men but never thought twice to look up. Or even think at all.

But now, a boy about his age walked up and wrapped his arm around his waist. Gaara wrinkled his nose in disgust. He started to walk over when he saw that his arm was sliding down her slender waist and she hadn't even realized it. A sudden surge of anger overpowered him as he quickly grabbed the arm and bent it back.

_SNAP! _

The boy writhed on the ground and Gaara simply stepped around him and took her hand.

"Let's get out of here, Emi." She shook her head, absolutely drunk and giggled. He tugged at her arm and she shook her head. He groaned inwardly and wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her up and over the injured boy and out of the stand. As soon as they went outside, the moon glistened in the dark sky.

The night air whooshed through her lungs and back out as she nearly fell and Gaara submitted to carrying her, "princess-style."

He groaned.

"Gaara-chaaaaan!" She hiccupped and giggled. He was even more pissed, where was he supposed to take her?

"Pu-put me dowwwn." Her words slurred as she tried to struggle out of his strong arms.

He started to walk, then sprint toward the building he lived at. As she drawled on and on about random and ridiculous nonsense he carried her up 14 flights of stairs and opened his door. Luckily, he convinced his siblings to stay at his own place. He carried her inside and set her down on the white couch. She blubbered like an infant as she lay on the couch. He was about to get her a cup of water and a blanket when she grabbed his arm, forcing him back. She drowsily sat up and she fell forward- her lips locked onto his.

At first, the kiss was clumsy and awkward. But he as he became more aware of the situation, he started to pull away and open his mouth to talk. Instead, she took it the wrong way and parted her lips. He was stunned, her hot tongue explored the sides of his mouth. She tasted sweet, the hot, syrupiness reminded him of the sake she was drinking before. Then he remembered the incident at the ramen hut. He could care less. He wrapped his arms around her small waist and continued to kiss her, realized what was happening.

_No. I have to stop this… I have to…_

And suddenly the hot, sweet mouth that once was intertwined with his was gone, and his arms were empty. He looked down and saw that she literally passed out. She was snoring ever so softly.

He groaned, _What the hell?!_

**Well, I hoped you liked it. I really love this story and I'm planning to devote most of my time to it.**

**REVIEWS ARE VERY NICE!**

_**Arigato!**_

_**Xoxoo**_

_**ashleyy**_


	3. Chapter 3

_Blood covered her shaking hands; she flinched as the smell of rust and salt grew stronger as she progressed through the dark hallway. Looking down she saw familiar faces, the people she loved…except their faces were twisted and their bodies were at awkward angles… The hollow feeling returned, the burning rage colored her vision red. The unbearable amount of pain that coursed through her boiling blood made her dizzy and at the same time… she saw things very clearly. Covered in blood, she reached for the remaining kunai in her belt and raised it to her throat. She slowly pressed the blade on her tan skin; her thick lashes skimmed her high cheekbones as she bit her lip to keep from screaming. This is what she wanted. This is what she needed._

Emi Hitachi burst out into tears as she gained consciousness in an unfamiliar environment. Her whole body shook, convulsing as tear after tear ran down her cheeks. The pain, the burning aching took over; she gasped as she tried to swallow air into her urgent lungs. Suddenly a pair of strong, pale arms pulled her gently against a rock solid wall…which turned out to be a rock solid chest. She was suddenly warm, a strange and alien feeling that she was not accustomed to.

She striked out, confused and anxious; she heard the sizzling of chakra meeting…sand? Her cloudy vision instantly cleared… and her breath caught in her throat, she was so close to him.

_Him…_ His sea-green eyes were screaming concern and worry, but they were still all the beautiful as she remembered. Wisps of scarlet hair fell into his kohl rimmed eyes, his perfectly curved lips moved but she couldn't hear what he said. But she could her heart pounding, loudly. His white teeth contrasted severely to his lips, she felt like she was being shook over and over again. She could tell she was losing it again, she knew it when she felt it…whenever she had that dream she would completely lose it.

"Hitachi-san, Hitachi-san!!!" She felt a pair of strong hands grab her drooping shoulders and shake her violently.

"EMI!?!"

Her clouded amethyst eyes flinched and the tears sprang back to life.

"Emi?!?!? What the hell is wrong with you?"

She could hear him…barely that is. It was almost like his voice was muffled, that the hysteria of the moment was overwhelming her. She felt herself drowning, suffocating in her own emptiness.

She opened her mouth to speak but she couldn't, it was like there was an iron clamp around her throat and it wouldn't budge. She cringed as previous thoughts of the nightmare returned to her. She buried herself into the warmness, her countless tears soaked his shirt as she sobbed. Her flailing fists where caught in his hands he forcefully brought them down to her sides and he held her arms to her sides.

He frantically stroked her mussed hair and waited for the sobs to wind down to cries to whimpers to silence.

"What happened….?"

She was startled by his voice, now that it was perfectly audible.

"I… I had a nightmare."

He chuckled darkly but his eyes didn't show humor.

"I can see that…"

She frowned at him but continued her story.

"My whole family was murdered, the people I love… I found their bodies after I want to go pick flowers and two guards…our most trusted ones betrayed us. Who killed us…is still a mystery but I remember all of their jutsos. And they had people. But…this one man; I never saw his face. But I remember his voice so clearly and if Kakashi wasn't there I don't know I'd be here…"

He swallowed.

"The blood, it haunts me. The smell, the feeling, the actions I took when I was only a child...And how easily I killed those men!" Her voice rose to a hysteric wail and slowly died off.

His eyes flickered away for a split second. She noticed.

"Tell me what happened to you."

Her voice was demanding, but there was a softness too it that he didn't recognize before…and he took comfort in it.

"I was a monster. But… I think that's for next time…" His velvet voice trailed off nervously and she smiled to herself, he said _next time_.

He looked up at the huge moon that lit up the dark sky. He smiled softly and without turning her head, he spoke softly.

"Go back to bed…"

She opened her mouth to protest but she found her eyelids were getting heavier. He gently tucked her into the sheets and he was about to get up when he realized something.

She was like him. They were alike. They both held unexplainable pain, fear, rage. He shook his head quickly; she couldn't be a monster like him. She couldn't. He turned around and glanced at the sleeping girl.

He lowered himself into a squat and observed her face. Her eyelids where slightly swollen from the crying, but other than that…he was stunned.

Her eyelashes cast shadows across her creamy skin; the moonlight struck her skin, her hair. Everything about her cast a shimmery glow, her lips, her eyes, hair, the hollows of her cheeks, that determined set of her full lips.

He wanted to scream, these feelings were new and raw to him. It was like unearthing something he had always wished for… he wasn't sure if he was ready. Instinctively his hand flew to the character on his forehead.

"I…don't believe in happy endings."

Kakashi looked at the clock on the wall and tapped his foot impatiently. He looked out to the classroom and didn't like what he saw. They were already an hour into class; and Emi and Gaara where no to be found. His brow creased as he thought about Emi…

_She shouldn't be alone. But she's safe now, now that she's in Japan and they won't find her…yet._

The door slid open and he looked up as a very tired looking Gaara gave him a slip of paper…and walked right back out without a glance back or an explanation. Kakashi unfolded the paper and read the following.

"_Don't worry, she's at my place. She's… losing it. I do know things. But I also don't know a lot as well… I may have just met her two or a day ago, but I feel like I know her. Thank you._

_-Gaara-"_

Kakashi blinked at the writing in front of him.

Was it possible Gaara, an emotionless cold hearted teenage boy…would be able to open up to Emi? But he smiled, that was something Emi would do. He had the growing suspicion that there was more to the letter that would never be written down. He suddenly was brought back to life.

"Kakashi-sensei?! This doesn't make sense!" Sakura whined and twirled her pink hair around her finger. "Ugh. I hate math!"

He laughed and made his way over to the student, and swiftly tucked the paper into his back pocket.

But someone hadn't been working on their class work.

And this someone...had seen everything.

4


	4. Chapter 4

A/this story doesn't seem to have much popularity..how unfortunate. =[)

A very flustered Emi Hitachi sat up in an unfamiliar bed. She looked up and examined her surroundings. She couldn't remember what had happened the night before….

She tried to stand up when a wave of sudden nausea hit her; she clutched her throbbing forehead. Her purple eyes were foggy as she looked around for something to stabilize her. She looked up when she heard a click, the door opened.

Her breath caught in her chest.

A half-naked-Gaara dressed in a pair of low-rise khaki pants was rubbing at his wet hair with a small towel. When he noticed she was awake, he smirked.

"Hn."

Her heart pounded in her chest, her amethyst eyes raked over his pale, opalescent chest. His skin was smooth, like marble; his muscles rippled sublimely as he continued to ruffle his crimson hair. Small tuffs of blood red hair stuck out behind his head as he continued to walk over and sat down in an empty chair.

She immediately flushed, her lips set into a small pout as she demanded,

"Where am I?"

He looked up at her and smirked.

"My apartment."

She looked shocked and a scowl formed on her pretty face.

"Why the hell am I _here_?"

He smirked again and casually stood up as he opened the nearby drawer and pulled a tight, black shirt over his head.

"Good question. You got drunk on sake in the middle of a _ramen _hut and I had to drag you back here." She blushed, a delicious poppy pink colored her cheekbones. His heart thudded.

She looked down and realized she was still wearing her sweater but her boots, gloves, and socks were missing.

"Where is the rest of my stuff?"

Gaara looked up as he hoisted his gourd over his shoulder and strapped on his boots. He motioned toward the door and stood up to leave when the memory suddenly flashed as she remembered her nightmare…and Gaara comforting her late at night. The tears, the pain, the unmistakable understanding she had felt when he looked into her eyes. Make it…groggy eyes. Another ache crept up and settled between her brows. She crumpled them, and found that it worsened the pain and sighed.

"Are we going to talk?" The scowling was gone and her voice was bland and reproachful. His eyes softened and then hardened into something that made her heart ache slightly. She knew what was coming. He did not want to remember. That, she could tell by the look on his face. Had it just been a dream within a nightmare?

"Hitachi san, are we not conversing now? I have some errands to run. I'll be back in an hour or two for school."

Rejection shot through her veins, making the blood pool high on her cheeks. She bit her full lip and nodded looking down at her bare feet as he turned around and she blurted,

"I didn't do anything…stupid…Did I?"

At the moment, his back was facing her and his pale face burned as he remembered the kiss from the night before.

_No, it doesn't mean anything. She was drunk. And I was taken advantage of. Hn._

He shook his head slowly and continued on his way out of the apartment and slammed the door behind her. She glowered at the door and decided to take advantage of the fact she had a huge suite all to herself until school, which was in about two hours. She giggled in delight and decided to take a shower.

She opened the door and switched on the light, turned on the hot shower and closed the door. She carefully removed her clothing as she stepped into the hot water. She closed her eyes, and rested her forehead against the glass door.

_What happened…?_

_Naruto understood me, my past. I thought Gaara did too…_ The steamy room suddenly turned cold.

She shook her head and stepped out as she turned the water off. She grabbed one of the towels and started to rub her long, brown hair.

She remembered how she had killed the men so mercilessly…as a child. Also, how the man severed off her hair. She subconsciously touched her hair as she looked into the mirror…

_I'm safe here… Kakashi-sensei said so. _

She took a deep breath.

Emi examined herself in the mirror, summing up that she was average.

Of course, she was wrong.

Her tan skin glowed from the hot shower she took, her hips curved out and in; the one thing she took pride in was her hips. Now hips she had.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, and realized there was time to make breakfast. She redressed and left the bathroom, trying to ignore the sense of unease she had felt a few moments before.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A frustrated Gaara fumbled for his keys and dropped them suddenly when the door flew open. He dropped his bag of groceries.

"Shit…" He looked up and stopped.

A lithe brunette looked at him with slight amusement; she was dressed in an over-sized white shirt that stopped above her thighs and a pair of very short shorts. His face burned as he realized he was staring at her legs; her tan skin seemed to glow under the lights and her eyes were just as unreal as he had remembered.

He grabbed his keys and stood up. He grunted.

"Good morning." She looked at him, scoffing slightly.

"It was until now."

He rolled his eyes in annoyance and stepped into the apartment.

"Did you eat?" She nodded and smirked slightly as he looked down at his now-destroyed-kitchen.

Food was everywhere, all over the walls and even on the stove. He wondered how it didn't get on her clothes or her hair.

_Her hair…_

Subconsciously, he reached out and stroked her hair and let his fingers run though it, before realizing what he had done and quickly snapped his hand back. She looked up at him, surprised.

Why wasn't she furious?

She frowned slightly and spoke.

"If that's all… _mata-ne!_"

With that, she pulled on her gloves and her boots and left the apartment…

Gaara was still frozen, he stared at his hand. Hesitantly, he grabbed his bag and slung it effortlessly over his broad shoulders.

He grumbled as he left his destroyed apartment, and pondered on what he had just done.

A glowing Emi Hitachi bounced down the street of Konoha; and of course, brought every male's attention toward her. It was hardly their fault, they are _human_.

But who couldn't stare at her in awe? She radiated a glow within her and her lilac eyes sparkled every time she caught someone looking at her; she smiled effortlessly.

Of course…leaving the person red-faced and embarrassed.

Suddenly the beaming happiness stopped.

She grabbed her stomach as she felt the contents of her breakfast come back up and she sprinted for the closet alley. She had barely made it in time before she threw it all up, and grimaced as she wiped at her mouth. She tucked her glossy hair behind her ear and wondered; _why am I throwing up? Was it the food?_ She shook her head; she had checked the expiration dates. _My hangover?!_ She cursed slightly under her breath for her consumption of alcohol and decided to grab something to soothe it- maybe some tea. Emi wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and rubbed it on her shorts she wore under her sweater dress the day before. She scrunched up her brows as she remembered the look in his eyes as he ran his fingers through her hair that awkward morning. She recalled the incident, the dream within the nightmare. He held her, he comforted her.

Almost running into someone, she quickly apologized and tucked her loose locks behind her ear and was stunned that it was that blond girl from her homeroom. She smiled brightly and said,

"Hi! Aren't you in Kakashi-sensei's class with me? What's your name? I'm new so, I don't really know." Her tone was sincere, her eyes sparkling and her words exuded friendliness. That was why she could not understand the cold, ice eyes that penetrated her warm, lilac ones. Immediately she was slightly taken back but stood her ground when the girl replied icily,

"You, you're Emi Hitachi. I've been looking for you." Her words were bland, but she detected the underlying menace in her tone. She knew right away that whoever she was, this was not going to go down well.

"And, what is it that you need?" Her voice immediately took on a regal tone and the blonde grit her teeth.

"Well, I'm Ino Yamanaka, and I'm here to personally challenge you. You," her voice rose as she jabbed one of her fingers at Emi. "Went to Gaara-san's house last night. You got drunk on sake last night. You, Emi Hitachi of the great Hitachi plan, failed to uphold her family name. You are my first official rival." The haughty blonde grew red in the cheeks as she glared at Emi Hitachi. Emi only felt amusement; however her blood boiled about the comments Ino made on her family and last night.

"My family," She spat the words at Ino, "Is none of your business. My family name, I assure you is much more powerful then yours. Last night? An honest mistake. Gaara was simply being polite. And you, what business do you have with me?" Her violet eyes were fueled with anger and disgust as she looked Ino up and down.

"I have no desire to have such a lowly enemy. An enemy that comes up to a stranger, proclaims that she is their rival just because she is just a tad bit to nosy….I don't think so." Ino was slightly taken back, the words stung like a fresh wound that one would receive in battle. Emi turned and started to walk away when Ino yelled in her direction,

"Then may I ask, what business do you have with Gaara-san? Are you his whore?" The people passing by stopped and immediately recognized the tension. A small clearing appeared, and only Ino and Emi were standing in it. Emi's back was facing to her, but her fists were tightening, the muscles in her arms started to flex. _She wants a fight? I'll give you a fight!_ Emi briskly turned and sprinted so quickly that Ino had no time to react as she felt an immense amount of force knock her into her gut. Crumpled on the floor, Ino coughed and spat the blood on the dirt ground and looked up.

Emi was furious, her violet eyes darkened considerably and an enormous amount of chakra flared up around her arms. Ino eyes widened at the amount, as she felt her sides heave from the damage that was caused to her abdomen. Ino struggled to get up but never took her eyes off of Emi. It was horrifying, the immense amount of power that seemed to seep out of her lithe figure. Her glossy brown hair was being whipped around her face, and Ino could feel that this would not be easily solved. They had sent her to complete a mission. She was here to do it. She widened her stance.

All Emi could feel was anger and it reddened her vision; her eyes immediately detected the slight flexing in Ino's legs and swerved to the side. Ino had charged at her with full speed, but missed completely. Now, Ino ran at her, her fists up and ready to pound Emi's body when she suddenly flew up into the air and was held up with….sand?

"Put me down! Agh! PUT ME DOWN!" She screamed and flailed uselessly. It was Gaara. She immediately blushed; Ino looked down and could not believe what she saw. Gaara was talking to Emi. She strained to hear their conversation.

"….Emi, you've turned the middle of a street into a battle zone. Give it up; she's not worth the waste of chakra." The sand floated around him though, he and it could sense the chakra that was flowing out of Emi's quivering body. She still stared at him, her eyes even Ino could tell from here, were almost…murderous. She shivered coldly and squealed when the sand tightened around her. He reached out with the sand to touch her but the immediate sound of sand meeting chakra sizzled and bounced off the walls of the nearby buildings and huts. His gorgeous face, Ino noted, grew impassive but she could sense of pleading.

_Gaara-san pleading…? No way. This can NOT be happening_….Ino muttered to herself and Gaara spoke sharply,

"Shut up, Ino."

She rolled her eyes and pretended that the harsh words had no effect on her. But they stung. The sand stung her eyes and the smell of blood that came off the sand filled her nose…

"Hitachi-san, please…" His voice trailed off. Suddenly the blazing chakra diminished and her usual lilac eyes were once again bright…but slightly glassy. She flushed when she made eye contact with Gaara. He was on his way to school, that she could tell. He looked up at Ino and withdrew the sand and looked away; a loud thump indicated she had landed on her rump on the ground. Emi glared at her slightly, the previous glassy look on her eyes diminished as she grabbed her discarded bag and turned swiftly on the ball of her foot. Gaara drew the surrounding sand back in the giant gourd and closed it. He propped it up on his shoulder and followed her steps. The crowd started to diminish and Ino was left on the ground by herself, moaning and complaining about the pain. But the smell of the blood tainting the sand that held her suspended in the air haunted her…where did the smell come from? Suddenly, the guy she dreamt and doodled about took on a much more serious edge.

She swore that she would have her revenge….

Emi Hitachi rubbed her arms as she walked briskly down the dirt path that headed toward the academy. She sensed Gaara following quickly behind, his breathing even and not one drop of sweat rolled down his perfect face. Emi stopped abruptly, and he slowed and stopped slightly ahead of her.

"Why do you pretend?" Her eyes were blazing, and she bit out the words that she had been dying to ask him from the day they had met. He looked at her, flustered and slightly frustrated. Her words pierced through his usual cool reserve and he turned to face her.

"I know…Gaara-san, I know how it feels. I know your loneliness…." He shook his head, his crimson hair glinted in the sun, turning it a brilliant ruby.

"No. Hitachi-san, do not act like you understand. Let it go." Her eyes widened at his bitter reply and she shook her head, her eyes pleaded him as she said,

"Don't…" He laughed coldly,

"Don't what?" She opened her mouth to say something but could not find the right words.

"Leave me be." He turned and walked away from Emi, and her lilac eyes stared at the back of his porcelain neck. Tears formed in her eyes; however she would not let them spill. No. Never…

Emi stormed into class and as usual, caught the attention of everyone. Including Kakashi; he cocked a silver brow at her and she just stared blankly at the wall. As if right on cue, Gaara walked in but his once flawless face was distorted with anger. Kakashi now was really intrigued…what had this duo so fired up? He looked up to see the secretary hand him a note, he quickly thanked her and read:

_Ino Yamanaka is being hospitalized and will return to school the next week. She is suffering from a few bruised ribs and muscle trauma in her abdomen. She is not telling us what happened…but sources say there was some sort of altercation early this morning outside on the street. _

He folded the note and sighed. His suspicions were confirmed- Emi had finally found a fight. He looked at the two teenagers who sat at the same desk, but did not even do much as glance at each other. Girls whispered and passed notes to Emi- to the fact that they piled up and spilled over her desk. Oops?

As soon as the bell rung, she zipped out of class and sat at the bench outside in the nearby park. She had been so foolish to trust him. But yet, she still yearned to stroke his face and to look into his sea-green eyes….but what the hell was she saying anyway?!

"Emi-chan! How about shopping?" She looked up to see Sakura, a friendly pink-headed girl with large green eyes. She smiled and held out her hand. Emi smiled back, she felt so down- a little shopping couldn't help…right?

"Sure…Sakura, right? Thanks for the offer." Sakura nodded as they both started to walk to the exit when she noticed Gaara leaning against a pole…with at least half a dozen of girls surrounding him. Some were cooing and others were down right flirting. Half of them weren't decently dressed. Anger pooled in her stomach, the pit deepened when he laughed coolly and all the girls sighed as they admired him. He looked straight at her, his intense eyes challenged her. She stared coldly back, not waiting for him to make a move; she glanced away quickly and didn't look back.

They chatted for a bit before they headed toward the crowded district was filled with tons of people. Emi grinned; she hadn't been shopping in a while. Sakura spoke,

"Did you know? The mid-autumn festival is coming up and it's going to be huge! Pretty dresses, good looking boys, traditions, and really great food; everybody is going including ninjas who don't go to the Academy. Fun right?" She squealed in excitement. Emi smiled and suddenly smirked as an idea started to form in her head….

_**Enjoy! Review!**_

_**Xooxoxo**_

_**Ashleyy**_


End file.
